The first Mission: Impossible film was released in the United States on May 22, 1996.
The film stars Tom Cruise as IMF agent Ethan Hunt and adapts the premise of the 1960s television series created by Bruce Geller. Paramount Pictures released it as a major summer action film, beginning the theatrical film franchise.
Its release date is sometimes confused with the dates of later entries. Mission: Impossible 2 arrived in 2000, while Mission: Impossible III followed in 2006. The first film was directed by Brian De Palma and co-stars Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart, Ving Rhames, and Vanessa Redgrave.
The film’s success established Ethan Hunt as one of modern cinema’s enduring action heroes. It also introduced the franchise’s recurring combination of espionage, elaborate disguises, team betrayal, and large-scale practical stunts.